Video: The emotional impact of type

Every bit of typography that you see has an emotional component. The emotion might be subtle or obvious, but type and more importantly how the type is used always has an emotional aspect. As a designer you can identify that power and use it to amplify your message. The strongest emotions can be triggered by previous or repeated associations. Many pieces of lettering or type are iconic. Think of the Hollywood sign which may conjure up a nostalgic sense of the film industry or our Declaration of Independence, which may stir feelings of patriotism.

Good typography can add tremendous power to your design and your message, whether it is a print- or screen-based project, a still or motion graphic, a 3D or 2D graphic. This course explains good typographic practices, so that you can develop an "eye" for type and understand how to effectively use it. Author Ina Saltz explains type classifications (serif vs. sans serif, display type vs. text type), how type is measured, sized, and organized, and how spacing and alignment affect your design. She also explains how to use kerning, tracking, leading, and line length, and covers the history and current trends in typography. The course teaches the principles of legibility, readability, and compatibility, and how they should be considered when you're selecting and designing with type.

The emotional impact of type

Every bit of typography that you see has an emotional component.The emotion might be subtle or obvious, but type and more importantly how the type isused always has an emotional aspect.As a designer you can identify that power and use it to amplify your message.The strongest emotions can be triggered by previous or repeated associations.Many pieces of lettering or type are iconic.Think of the Hollywood sign which may conjure up a nostalgic sense of the film industryor our Declaration of Independence, which may stir feelings of patriotism.

Then there are logos, hundreds of logos, mostly typographic are engraved on our collective consciousness.National brands like the Staples logo, Wal-Mart, IBM, Macy's, the US Postal Service, FedEx,Coca-Cola, in most cases just one letter of the logo would be familiar enough to triggerrecognition and an association that has an emotional component.No matter what you're designing, you can trigger the viewers' emotions by using type in waysthat connect to the subconscious.

These two examples use nostalgia to appeal to consumers.This arm & hammer box looks as if it's been around forever.The illustration is still in an old-fashioned style.The strong sans serif cap surrounding the flexed bicep conveys strength.We can imagine our mothers and grandmothers using this same product.It projects a sense of confidence and trust.The Tide logo, though it's been slightly modernized over the years retains the same overall look.

Its color scheme, its concentric circles, and its forward sloping blue sans serif lettersmatch our childhood memories of this logo.Childhood memories are powerful emotional connection.Hand-drawn lettering can add a humorous or irreverent tone to your project.Here's a great example of a re-branding project that took a whole new approach to a businessthat's been around for three generations.The original packaging looks like it's trying to be fun, but still comes off as a bit stogy.

The redesign by Michael Bierut from Pentagram goes over the top with a wacky fund irreverent hand-lettered approach.The bright colors and childlike illustrations all contribute to a highly playful and happy feeling.The effect even continues into the shipping boxes.You can see how specific typographic usage can reach out to speak emotionally to theviewer or to target certain viewers.Using the emotional appeal of type can be a powerful tool.

Learn by watching, listening, and doing, Exercise files are the same files the author uses in the course, so you can download them and follow along Premium memberships include access to all exercise files in the library.

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Learn by watching, listening, and doing! Exercise files are the same files the author uses in the course, so you can download them and follow along. Exercise files are available with all Premium memberships.
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